The present invention relates to a package of electronic components mounted on tape of a predetermined length. The components are typically condensers or resistors having parallel lead wires and the electronic components are mounted on the tape by means of said lead wires.
With recent development of automatic machines for production of electronic components, it becomes possible to manufacture such electronic components in great numbers, at high speed and to mount them automatically on tape. Using the lead wires as the mounting means, such electronic components are held equidistantly on a paper strip using an adhesive tape as the mounting means.
In general, the strip or tape is spirally-wound on a winding frame or core and transported and stored in this spirally-wound state. It can then be fed to an automatic inserting machine to be used in preparing printed circuits with the electronic components being removed from the tape as required, the electronic components being cut one by one and inserted at the specified positions into printed circuits. The transport and storage of the spirally-wound tape has presented some problems due to the fact that in the normal mounting arrangement electronic components protrude from one or both edges of the tape making them subject to damage. Naturally, sections of spirally-wound tape carrying components can be packaged, but then it becomes necessary to open each individual package and remove the tape therefrom as the tape is to be delivered to an automatic inserting machine. The manual handling of the packages is expensive and introduces the possibility of mistakes due to human error. Consequently, a package from which the tape could be fed without opening same is eminently desirable. Such a package should also be designed to protect the tape from dust and accidental contact either manual or with moisture, for instance, during the process of feeding tape to the automatic inserting machine with which it is to be used.